Scottish Executive

Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, with regard to the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill and the absolute right to buy, it is making budgetary provision to cover any costs which might arise under the European Convention on Human Rights, given the comments made in the Rural Development Committee’s Stage 1 Report on the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill .

Ross Finnie: The Executive is opposed to an absolute right to buy, which would undermine the aim of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Bill to revitalise the tenanted sector. Our potential liability for compensation to overcome the risk of legal challenge under the European Convention of Human Rights arising from the creation of such a right is difficult to predict or control accurately, but we believe it could be substantial. Current Executive spending plans make no provision to meet such costs and no provision could be made without impacting on Executive support for other programmes. There is also a possibility, which we are investigating further, that such payments would in any case be unlikely to be acceptable for state aid purposes and would fail to meet EC requirements.

  For all of these reasons, we do not propose changes to our current spending plans to make budgetary provision for compensation that might be associated with the introduction of an absolute right to buy.

Audiology

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30980 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 7 November 2002, when it will have fully considered the recommendations of the audiology review group and when it intends to report its response to these recommendations to the Parliament.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: The Executive is still considering the many recommendations within the audiology report. It is not possible at this stage to give a definite date for a response. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

Cancer

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how long patients are expected to wait for their first appointment with a specialist after an urgent referral by their general practitioner for suspected breast cancer.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Clinical Standards Board for Scotland (CSBS) criteria for breast cancer services standards, state:

  Essential: a minimum of 70% of patients referred to a symptomatic clinic are seen within four weeks from date of GP referral.

  Desirable: a minimum of 80% of patients are seen within two weeks from date of GP referral.

  In March 2002, the CSBS published their National Overview of Breast Cancer Services alongside 17 local reports on service provision for breast cancer services in Scotland. These are available from www.clinicalstandards.org

  In May 2002 Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer were distributed throughout NHSScotland. A copy is available from:

  www.scotland.gov.uk and www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/cancerinscotland.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many court-mandated perpetrator programmes for domestic abuse offenders there are and how many such programmes have parallel partner-support workers.

Cathy Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally. Court-mandated programmes are delivered by local authority criminal justice services.

Domestic Abuse

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many social work departments have received training from CHANGE in respect of developing court-mandated perpetrator programmes.

Cathy Jamieson: As at 31 March 2002, 15 authorities had received the awareness training and nine had progressed to the full skills training.

First Minister

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32029 by Mr Jack McConnell on 10 December 2002, what each of the functions are for which the First Minister is solely responsible relating to the universities of Scotland.

Mr Jack McConnell: The powers and functions relating to the universities of Scotland which are conferred upon the First Minister alone are set out in section 9 of the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889 and the Royal Charter of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland 1978.

First Minister

Andrew Wilson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32029 by Mr Jack McConnell on 10 December 2002, what each of the functions are for which the First Minister is solely responsible under the Interception of Communications Act 1985 and the Intelligence Services Act 1994.

Mr Jack McConnell: The powers and functions which are conferred upon the First Minister alone in relation to the interception of communications and the intelligence services are now set out in sections 58 and 60 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 as modified by the Scotland Act 1998 (Transfer of Functions to the Scottish Ministers etc) (No 2) Order 2000 (SI 2000/3253). These provisions replaced sections 7 and 8 of the Interception of Communications Act 1985 and section 8 of the Intelligence Services Act 1994.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the jobs of staff involved in the transfer of housing stock in Glasgow will be guaranteed in the Glasgow Housing Association Ltd, given revisions to the proposed staffing structure of Scottish Borders Housing Association.

Ms Margaret Curran: The terms and conditions of all council staff affected by the Glasgow housing transfer will be protected through the Transfer of Undertaking (Protection of Employment) arrangements.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many properties have been demolished under the Glasgow housing stock transfer process to date and how many are expected to be demolished in total.

Ms Margaret Curran: To date, no houses have been demolished as a consequence of the Glasgow housing transfer. The plan approved by Glasgow City Council on 20 December indicates that up to 14,000 units will be demolished during the first 10 years after transfer.

Land Purchase

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the proposed sale of Clett Island, off Skye, in plots each of one foot square.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the rights and responsibilities would be of owners of one foot square plots of land, such as those presently being sold on Clett Island, off Skye.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that any future land legislation includes a prohibition on the sale of very small plots of land within larger land holdings and marketed as novelty gifts or opportunities to own part of Scotland’s heritage.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it would give to individuals considering purchasing plots of land of one foot square on Clett Island, off Skye.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it can take to prohibit plots of land of one foot square on Clett Island, off Skye, being sold and marketed as novelty gifts and what measures can be taken to ensure that ownership of such plots is reclaimed from anybody that has already acquired it.

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what acreage of Scotland has been sold off in plots of very small size with the aim of securing only novelty ownership; how many such schemes there have been in the last 20 years, and what difficulties any such schemes have caused for (a) owners and (b) any others.

Ross Finnie: Section 4(2)(b) of the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 provides that an application for registration in the Land Register of Scotland shall not be accepted by the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland if it relates to land which is a souvenir plot, that is a piece of land which, being of inconsiderable size or no practical utility, is unlikely to be wanted in isolation except for the sake of mere ownership or for sentimental reasons or for commemorative purposes.

  The Island of Skye, being in the County of Inverness is subject to that act and accordingly the plots in question could not be registered. The operation of the Land Register will be extended to all the remaining counties of Scotland on 1 April 2003 at which point in time registration of souvenir plots will be impossible anywhere in Scotland. Inability to register a souvenir plot means that the purchaser can only get a personal right of ownership. He or she cannot get a real right protected by the state guarantee that underpins a registered title.

  The position of the Scottish Executive on the purported sale of souvenir plots is reflected in the terms of the above mentioned legislation. The Executive would advise that any individuals participating in transactions of this nature should be aware that there is no true purchase involved as no title can be obtained to the plot of land.

  In view of the fact that titles cannot be registered to the plots, it is not known what rights and responsibilities attach to the "owners" of the small plots of land, but any such rights and responsibilities would be of a personal nature. For the same reason is it not known what acreage of Scotland has been "sold off" in plots of a very small size.

  It is not known how many such schemes there have been in the last 20 years. The Registers of Scotland have no knowledge of any problems caused by them.

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it plans to bring the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill into force.

Ross Finnie: We are on track to implement most of the provisions of the Land Reform Bill in 2003, provided it completes its remaining parliamentary stages before the end of the session. Secondary legislation is required before the bill provisions can be fully implemented. Decisions about implementation after the election will be a matter for the new administration.

Local Government Finance

Alasdair Morgan (Galloway and Upper Nithsdale) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has allocated to each local authority in respect of work on core path networks in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04.

Mr Andy Kerr: Total provision of £2.5 million, £4.7 million and £6.5 million has been made available within each council’s grant allocation to assist with preparing for the new functions included in Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, including the establishment of a system of core paths in their area. The distribution of these funds is not identified separately within the grant total. In addition to this funding, Scottish Natural Heritage is spending over £21 million over the current three years to promote and facilitate access, a proportion of which will be in the form of grants to local authorities. A further £7.4 million will be allocated to Scottish Natural Heritage and local authorities over the next three years to improve path networks and their management.

Prison Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what entitlements Scottish Prison Service employees have to sick pay and sick leave.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  Established employees receive 182 days full-paid sickness and 183 days half-paid sickness entitlement, irrespective of service. This should not exceed 365 days, in total, in any four-year period.

  Where an employee has exhausted their entitlement to full and half pay, a further 12 months can be paid at Sick Pay at Pension Rate (SPPR). This is at the discretion of management and only applies where, following medical advice, there is a reasonable prospect of the employee returning to work.

Prison Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) staff have been employed by the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), (b) sick days have been lost whilst sick pay is paid to SPS employees and (c) SPS staff have been in receipt of sick pay in each month since January 2001.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  


Month/Year 
  

No of Staff Employed 
  

Staff in Receipt of Sick Pay 
  

Sick Days Lost 
  



January 2001 
  

4,554 
  

511 
  

5,868 
  



February 2001 
  

4,530 
  

439 
  

5,264 
  



March 2001 
  

4,519 
  

475 
  

6,214 
  



April 2001 
  

4,520 
  

522 
  

6,111 
  



May 2001 
  

4,577 
  

486 
  

6,480 
  



June 2001 
  

4,538 
  

479 
  

6,394 
  



July 2001 
  

4,528 
  

490 
  

6,773 
  



August 2001 
  

4,522 
  

463 
  

6,822 
  



September 2001 
  

4,484 
  

517 
  

6,865 
  



October 2001 
  

4,510 
  

533 
  

7,270 
  



November 2001 
  

4,548 
  

519 
  

7,073 
  



December 2001 
  

4,541 
  

535 
  

7,365 
  



January 2002 
  

4,582 
  

615 
  

7,386 
  



February 2002 
  

4,616 
  

538 
  

6,590 
  



March 2002 
  

4,591 
  

522 
  

7,098 
  



April 2002 
  

4,583 
  

499 
  

7,220 
  



May 2002 
  

4,619 
  

529 
  

7,455 
  



June 2002 
  

4,615 
  

546 
  

8,099 
  



July 2002 
  

4,598 
  

520 
  

8,143 
  



August 2002 
  

4,597 
  

486 
  

7,558 
  



September 2002 
  

4,627 
  

511 
  

6,995 
  



October 2002 
  

4,609 
  

501 
  

6,992 
  



November 2002 
  

4,656 
  

453 
  

6,543

Prison Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service staff retired due to ill health in each year from 1997 to 2001.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  


Year 
  

Staff Medically Retired 
  



01-04-96 to 31-03-97 
  

0 
  



01-04-97 to 31-03-98 
  

6 
  



01-04-98 to 31-03-99 
  

23 
  



01-04-99 to 31-03-00 
  

25 
  



01-04-00 to 31-03-01 
  

15

Prison Service

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish Prison Service (SPS) staff have initiated grievance procedures in each year since 1997 and how many such procedures were (a) concluded to the SPS’s satisfaction and (b) referred for external arbitration.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information is not available. Grievances are not referred to external arbitration.

Prison Service

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-30372 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 November 2002 and given that the Scottish Prison Service does not monitor the number of reportable accidents notified by the operator of HM Prison Kilmarnock to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), how it measures the Scottish Prison Service’s performance against its target for the number of injuries reportable to the HSE.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  As shown by the answer to question S1W-30372, the SPS monitors the number of its reports to the HSE. The SPS does not have a target for the number of reports to HSE.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2393 by Mr Jim Wallace on 19 January 2000, whether it will provide up-to-date percentage staff turnover figures since April 1999 for HM Prison (a) Barlinnie, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Kilmarnock, (d) Perth and (e) Peterhead.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-30525 on 28 October 2002, which contains the most recent information held on percentage of turnover in the SPS.

  The SPS does not hold information on staff turnover at Kilmarnock. This is a matter for Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-32017 by Mr Jim Wallace on 10 December 2002, what projections it has of the number of unfit places in the prisons estate in (a) 2006-07, (b) 2007-08, (c) 2008-09 and (d) 2009-10.

Hugh Henry: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:

  As I indicated in the answer given to question S1W-32017, and previously in response to question S1W-29749 on 7 October 2002, the number of prisoner places available in future years, with and without access to night sanitation, will depend on when new places become available and when it is possible to make temporary closures for upgrading other places. These decisions depend on a number of factors outside SPS’s direct control including future trends in the prisoner population and the timing and outcome of planning applications for new places. It is therefore not possible to make accurate projections beyond those given in the answer given to question S1W-32017.

  All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Prison Service

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31637 by Mr Jim Wallace on 2 December 2002, whether there is any difference in the fixed fees, as defined in Ga and Gb in paragraph 6 of schedule E to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock , between a single additional prisoner place in band A being occupied and all additional prisoner places in band A being occupied.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  No.

Rail Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many passenger rail journeys are undertaken each year.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is given in table 8.1 of Scottish Transport Statistics no. 21, 2002 edition , published by the Executive in August 2002, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 23316).

Rail Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of passenger rail journeys undertaken do not exceed 10 minutes.

Lewis Macdonald: Relevant information is given in table 13 of Scottish Household Survey Travel Diary results , published by the Executive in February 2002, copies of which are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 19620).

Rail Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many passenger rail journeys involved passengers standing for more than 10 minutes in each year since 1997.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Rail Services

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of passenger rail journeys undertaken in Scotland is on services provided by companies other than ScotRail.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested can be obtained from tables 8.1 to 8.3 of Scottish Transport Statistics no. 21, 2002 edition , published by the Executive in August 2002, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 23316).

Rail Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has received from the Strategic Rail Authority about any proposed cuts in funding for the passenger railway franchise; whether it has taken over responsibility for direct payment of funding for the franchise and, if not, when it will do so, and what assessment it has made of any impact of any such cuts on service provision.

Lewis Macdonald: A contract with agreed levels of funding and an agreed Passenger Service Requirement is in place with ScotRail until April 2004 when the current franchise expires. Payment of the subsidy cost of the franchise is divided between the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT). The Executive has always funded SPT’s share of this and has funded SRA’s share since 2001-02 through transfer of funds from the Department for Transport.

  Under the terms of the devolution settlement the Executive will acquire full funding responsibility, via SPT and the SRA, for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise.

Rail Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-27368 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 August 2002, whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government in support of legislative changes in order to allow a public sector operator to be considered for the passenger railway franchise.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including franchise issues.

Research

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what benchmarking data it holds, or is planning to obtain, on the commercialisation of research in universities and research institutions.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds, or is planning to obtain, on the commercial outputs being generated from research conducted in universities and research institutions.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what target-setting and performance evaluation it has commissioned, or is planning to commission, on the commercialisation of research in universities and research institutions.

Brian Fitzpatrick (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it holds, or is planning to obtain, on the (a) number of start-up companies created since 1997 supported by the commercialisation of research conducted in universities and research institutions, (b) sectoral range of start-up companies created since 1997 supported by such commercialisation, (c) (i) number and (ii) percentage of start-up companies that have their registered office in Scotland and were created since 1997 supported by such commercialisation, (d) number of universities and research institutions holding equity in their start-up companies and the extent of any such holdings, (e) number of licensing arrangements established since 1997 to further the commercialisation of research in universities and research institutions and (f) gross incomes from any such licences yielded since 1997.

Iain Gray: At present, comprehensive information in the form requested in this question, and questions S1W-32711, S1W-32712 and S1W-32713, is not available.

  Information on commercialisation of university research is available from the UK Higher Education-Business Interaction (HE-BI) survey, which is based on activities reported by universities. This annual survey was commissioned in 2001 by the Higher Education Funding Council for England on behalf of a group of stakeholders, including the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council. The UK report was published in December 2001 by the Centre for Urban and Regional Development Studies at the University of Newcastle and is available at http://www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/hefce/2001/01_68.htm. Key Scottish results have been published in the Scottish Economic Report January 2002 and are available at:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/finance/ser5-11.asp, based on the responses from 17 Scottish institutions.

  For the academic year 1999-2000, 37 new spin-off companies were reported in which the Higher Education Institution (HEI) held equity, compared with a total of 54 in the preceding five years. There are presently no reliable data on the number of companies started where the HEI had some interest but no equity ownership. Of the 17 Scottish HEIs which responded to the survey, 16 had an equity share in at least one spin-off company. One hundred and twenty-two licensing agreements were reported by Scottish HEIs in 1998-99 and 114 in 1999-2000, the only years for which figures are available. Total revenues from Intellectual Property Rights (including income from licensing agreements as well as royalties on patents and copyrights) accruing to Scottish universities were reported as £6.9 million in 1998-99 and £7.7 million in 1999-2000. Results for the 2000-01 academic session are expected to be published for the UK shortly; the Scottish Executive will provide an analysis of the Scottish results.

  Information on the commercialisation activity of the Scottish Agricultural and Biological Research Institutes (SABRIs) has been collected since 2000 and is included in their annual reports. On average each year, for financial years 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 (estimate), the SABRIs have filed 10 new patents, there have been 70 new licences and two new spin-out companies. Income from Intellectual Property Rights has amounted to approximately £650,000 annually.

  Improving the commercialisation of university and research institute research is a high priority for the Executive and we have set a target of assisting 150 joint academic and industry ventures by 2006. It is important that suitable measures are available to assess the extent and value of commercialisation activity. The UK HE-BI survey is relatively new, and the intention is to develop it further. At this stage it is not possible to say whether future surveys will include the additional items covered by these parliamentary questions, since the cost of collection and extent to which universities and other bodies are able to provide them will need to be assessed. Developing better measures of commercialisation activity is also currently being considered as part of the Review of the UK Research Assessment Exercise in which the Executive is participating.

Roads

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the A90 between Perth and Aberdeen was last not subject to speed and carriageway restrictions caused by roadworks.

Lewis Macdonald: As a consequence of the series of major improvement and maintenance schemes on the A90, the last time there were no speed or carriageway restrictions at any point between Perth and Aberdeen was 21 April 2002.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31827 by Mr Jim Wallace on 3 December 2002, what outstanding matters from previous inspections of the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) will be considered by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in the follow-up inspection of the SCRO in January 2003.

Hugh Henry: As part of the forthcoming Review Inspection of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO), HM Inspectorate of Constabulary will seek to identify the progress made in addressing all of the recommendations and suggestions contained in its Primary Inspection Report of the SCRO Fingerprint Bureau.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct HM Inspectorate of Constabulary to ensure that its previous recommendations and those of the Change Management Review Team established by the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) regarding openness and accountability in the Scottish Criminal Records Office are implemented fully.

Hugh Henry: Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has a statutory duty to enquire into police efficiency independently of the Scottish Executive. It would not, therefore, be appropriate for the Scottish Executive to direct HMIC in how it should discharge its duty.

  The forthcoming Review Inspection of the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) will seek to identify the progress made in addressing the recommendations and suggestions contained in its Primary Inspection Report of the SCRO Fingerprint Bureau. The ACPOS Change Management Review Team Report was a positive initial step in the process of responding to HMIC's recommendations and suggestions and the forthcoming Review Inspection will take this and other work into account as it evaluates the effectiveness of changes made within the SCRO Fingerprint Bureau.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what response it made, or advice it gave, to the Public Petitions Committee with regard to petition PE544 on the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO); whether any such advice or response indicated that it was unable to provide information to the committee because of a pending civil case; whether it acted properly in giving such advice, and whether it will now respond to the concerns of the petitioners.

Hugh Henry: The substance of the Scottish Executive’s response is recorded at column 2532 of the Official Report of the meeting of the Public Petitions Committee held on 3 December 2002 and can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/cttee/petit-02/pu02-1802.htm#Col2532

  The Executive is satisfied that its response was appropriate.

  The petition was addressed to the Public Petitions Committee and it will be for the committee in the first instance to decide how to respond to the petitioners’ concerns.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what expenditure the Scottish Criminal Records Office has incurred with regard to the (a) salaries, (b) pension contributions and (c) other work-related expenses paid in respect of the fingerprint experts that gave evidence in the prosecution of Shirley McKie, broken down by the periods (i) from June 2000 until their suspension from work, (ii) during their suspension from work and (iii) since their return to work.

Hugh Henry: Responsibility for pay and other staff-related service conditions for the civilian staff at the Scottish Criminal Record Office formally rests with Strathclyde Joint Police Board. The board has, however, made available the following information in respect of the three fingerprint officers who gave evidence in the prosecution of Shirley McKie and a fourth officer who did not give evidence but who was involved in the process leading up to the prosecution and who was suspended with the other three officers:

  


Period (i) 
  

£33,544 
  



Period (ii) 
  

£314,049 
  



Period (iii) (projected to March 2003) 
  

£200,303

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO), or any other public body, made any financial contribution to the legal costs of the fingerprint experts involved in the prosecution of Shirley McKie either before, during or after their suspension for wrongful identification of the fingerprint evidence led by the SCRO in the case.

Hugh Henry: The Scottish Criminal Record Office has not made any financial contribution to the legal costs of the fingerprint experts involved in the prosecution of Ms McKie, nor has any other public body as far as I am aware.

  The Scottish Executive has accepted responsibility for the defendants’ legal cost arising out of the civil action raised on behalf of Ms McKie.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to the prosecution of Shirley McKie, what costs were incurred by (a) it, (b) the Scottish Criminal Records Office (SCRO) and (c) any other public bodies, including the Crown Office and the police, in (i) prosecuting the case, (ii) inquiring into the (1) circumstances of the prosecution and (2) deficiencies of the SCRO revealed as a result of the prosecution, (iii) considering the prosecution of those involved in the case and (iv) defending legal actions initiated by Shirley McKie.

Hugh Henry: The cost incurred by the various public bodies involved in work related to these matters cannot be separately identified from within the costs incurred by those bodies in discharging the totality of their business.

Water Supply

Janis Hughes (Glasgow Rutherglen) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects revised guidance on cryptosporidium in water supplies to be issued.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Chief Medical Officer has today issued revised guidance to NHS Scotland, which takes account of the latest advice received from the Expert Group on Cryptosporidium in Water Supplies, chaired by Professor Bouchier. The revised guidance takes account of the group’s clarification of issues around risk assessment, and the importance of taking account of local circumstances in order to arrive at speedy and appropriate decisions. The guidance also reflects the group's technical advice relating to the provision of laboratory support associated with the detection and identification of cryptosporidium in water supplies.

  The Executive will also take account of the strategic implications of Professor Bouchier's scientific advice in developing guidance on incident and outbreak management. This interim guidance will be published shortly, for consultation.

  These developments have been taken forward as a consequence of recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Group on Health and Public Water Supply, which was established following cryptosporidium-related incidents in Glasgow and Edinburgh in August last year.

Correction

The reply to question S1W-30263, which was originally answered on 4 October 2002, has been corrected: see page 2635 or http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/official_report/wa-02/wa1223.htm.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether EMBT/RMJM Ltd provided evidence of its professional indemnity insurance as described in the original European Journal advertisement for architectural services in relation to the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood.

Sir David Steel: Yes.

  Following are statistics on parliamentary questions and answers for the period from 11/11/2002 to 6/12/2002

  


 


Scottish Executive


Presiding Officer


Total




Total questions asked


967


25


992




Total questions answered


1,045


13


1,058




  


Total non-recess questions answered 
  (breakdown)




Answered within:


Scottish Executive


Presiding Officer




0-14 days


682


7




2-4 weeks


83


0




4-6 weeks


14


0




6-8 weeks


16


0




8 weeks and over


7


0




Total answered


802


7




  


Total recess questions answered 
  (breakdown)




Answered within:


Scottish Executive


Presiding Officer




0-28 days


196


4




4-6 weeks


38


2




6-8 weeks


8


0




8 weeks and over


1


0




Total answered


243


6